- Andrew Skipor, Phd. June 2012. Vinegar. www.newton.gov. February/26/2013.www.newton.dep.anl.gov
- Josh Baum.September/29/2010.The Effects of Bleach on Skin & Eyes.www.livestrong.com.February/26/2013.
- Emily Beach.June/15/2011.The Effects of Chlorine Bleach on the Environment.www.livestrong.com.February/26/2013
- mustknowhow.com. Advantages of Bleach Products. March/1/2013. http://www.mustknowhow.com/tag/advantages-of-bleach-products
- Beth N. April/20/2009.Bleach: Health Dangers & Effectiveness. www.voices.yahoo.com.March/1/2013.http://voices.yahoo.com/bleach-health-dangers-effectiveness-3068416.html?cat=5
- Bleachbath.net.Health advantages of Bleach Baths. www.Bleachbath.net. March/1/2013.http://www.bleachbath.net/health-advantages-of-bleach-baths.html
- Melissa Sandoval. Chlorine Bleach as a Disinfectant.www.howstuffworks.com.March/1/2013.http://home.howstuffworks.com/bleach2.htm
Saturday, 2 March 2013
Reference List
Risks and benefits of Bleach and Vinegar
Bleach
Risks: can release dioxins, could irritate skin, could cause permanent vision loss if it gets in your eye, can cause respiratory problems,tooth corrosion,singing of nose hairs, whitening of pigment, damage to central nervous system, could release deadly chlorine gas if mixed with other cleaners, since it is used to clean drains it can get into the lakes which will contaminate the water, whitens colored clothes.
Benefits of Bleach: Many antimicrobial properties,could be used destroys many pathogens, can be used to treat skin conditions if low concentration (and diluted), good for preventing mildew and soap scum, very versatile disinfectant, good detergent for removing organic stains ie. blood, kills germs leading to food borne illnesses effectively, inexpensive (a little goes a long way), kills mold effectively.
Vinegar
Risks: Could raise acidity level in lakes if used to clean drains, erodes enamel on teeth, throat irritation if inhaled, can interfere with acidity- alkaline levels in body with copious consumption, potentially thin out blood.
Benefits: Safe for human consumption, kills germs, good glass cleaner, non-toxic, environmentally friendly alternative to other chemical based disinfectants, clarifying agent for hair, can cool a sunburn, descaling agent (removes calcium deposits), kills mold, has health benefits, versatile product.
From an evironmental perspective. I would choose vinegar however, as an overall disinfectant I would choose bleach as it has a wide array of antimicrobial properties and can inhibit the growth of many microbes such as bacteria, viruses, fungus and many other pathogens. Bleach is still effective when diluted to low concentrations which makes it not as environmentally harmful but still more potent than vinegar.
Risks: can release dioxins, could irritate skin, could cause permanent vision loss if it gets in your eye, can cause respiratory problems,tooth corrosion,singing of nose hairs, whitening of pigment, damage to central nervous system, could release deadly chlorine gas if mixed with other cleaners, since it is used to clean drains it can get into the lakes which will contaminate the water, whitens colored clothes.
Benefits of Bleach: Many antimicrobial properties,could be used destroys many pathogens, can be used to treat skin conditions if low concentration (and diluted), good for preventing mildew and soap scum, very versatile disinfectant, good detergent for removing organic stains ie. blood, kills germs leading to food borne illnesses effectively, inexpensive (a little goes a long way), kills mold effectively.
Vinegar
Risks: Could raise acidity level in lakes if used to clean drains, erodes enamel on teeth, throat irritation if inhaled, can interfere with acidity- alkaline levels in body with copious consumption, potentially thin out blood.
Benefits: Safe for human consumption, kills germs, good glass cleaner, non-toxic, environmentally friendly alternative to other chemical based disinfectants, clarifying agent for hair, can cool a sunburn, descaling agent (removes calcium deposits), kills mold, has health benefits, versatile product.
From an evironmental perspective. I would choose vinegar however, as an overall disinfectant I would choose bleach as it has a wide array of antimicrobial properties and can inhibit the growth of many microbes such as bacteria, viruses, fungus and many other pathogens. Bleach is still effective when diluted to low concentrations which makes it not as environmentally harmful but still more potent than vinegar.
Effectiveness of Products as Disinfecting Agents
Bleach is an effective disinfecting agent that kills bacteria leading to food borne illnesses such as E. Coli. Bleach has been used to clean dialysis equipment as well. Chlorine bleach is a potent disinfecting agent because it cleans with oxidization, meaning it breaks down the cells in germs through oxidization. Bleach has antimicrobial properties and chemically reacts with microbes to destroy many pathogens.
Vinegar is a mild disinfecting agent and can become more powerful if combined with other ingredients, it's not the best disinfecting agent it is more effective for killing mold. Vinegar does not have as many antimicrobial properties as bleach but it does inhibit the growth of one microorganism which is bacteria.
Note- Mixing bleach and vinegar is not a good idea, it can create a toxic yellow gas called chlorine gas which could be deadly if inhaled.
Vinegar is a mild disinfecting agent and can become more powerful if combined with other ingredients, it's not the best disinfecting agent it is more effective for killing mold. Vinegar does not have as many antimicrobial properties as bleach but it does inhibit the growth of one microorganism which is bacteria.
Note- Mixing bleach and vinegar is not a good idea, it can create a toxic yellow gas called chlorine gas which could be deadly if inhaled.
Chemical Information for Chlorine and Bleach
The active ingredient in vinegar is acetc acid.
Vinegar is a molecular compound.
The chemical formula for vinegar is: CH3COOH.
The concentration of acetic acid in household vinegar is 5%.
The active ingredient in bleach is sodium hypochlorite.
Bleach is an ionic compound.
The chemical formula for bleach is NaClO.
The concentration of sodium hypochlorite in household chlorine bleach is 5.25%.
Vinegar is a molecular compound.
The chemical formula for vinegar is: CH3COOH.
The concentration of acetic acid in household vinegar is 5%.
The active ingredient in bleach is sodium hypochlorite.
Bleach is an ionic compound.
The chemical formula for bleach is NaClO.
The concentration of sodium hypochlorite in household chlorine bleach is 5.25%.
The Effects of Vinegar and Bleach on the Environment and Human Health
Vinegar has can possibly have harmful effects on human health. If for some reason vinegar comes in contact with your eye it can cause irritation lasting for hours if not treated correctly, and if inhaled it can cause mild irritation to the throat. Vinegar has only superficial effects on the environment, when using it in your house to clean tabletops, kill mold etc then it is completely safe for the household environment, when vinegar ends up in our oceans and lakes is when it can become potentially harmful because of the acetic acid causing acidity in the water. All in all, vinegar is safe, non toxic cleaner and can be more effective if combined with other chemicals.
Household bleach is usually diluted (water added to it) but bleach is a much more effective disinfecting agent but a significantly more harmful to the environment and human health. The production of bleach is extremely harmful to the environment as it releases dioxins when produced, it can release toxic gases in your house as well. If bleach comes in contact with your skin it can result in burning, irritation, pigment lightening, and possibly permanent tissue damage if not treated immediately. When bleach gets in one's eye then it will cause immediate damage that could last for hours even if washed out immidiately. Many factories and industries dump bleach into lakes which means the bleach could potentially chemically react with minerals in the water, releasing dioxins, these dioxins that get into the air and water supply are dangerous to the wildlife in those areas. Another harmful effect of chlorine bleach is the way that it depletes the ozone layer when emited as gas.
Household bleach is usually diluted (water added to it) but bleach is a much more effective disinfecting agent but a significantly more harmful to the environment and human health. The production of bleach is extremely harmful to the environment as it releases dioxins when produced, it can release toxic gases in your house as well. If bleach comes in contact with your skin it can result in burning, irritation, pigment lightening, and possibly permanent tissue damage if not treated immediately. When bleach gets in one's eye then it will cause immediate damage that could last for hours even if washed out immidiately. Many factories and industries dump bleach into lakes which means the bleach could potentially chemically react with minerals in the water, releasing dioxins, these dioxins that get into the air and water supply are dangerous to the wildlife in those areas. Another harmful effect of chlorine bleach is the way that it depletes the ozone layer when emited as gas.
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